The viable building techniques are now seriously limited in nature and scope by modular pre-fab construction, which is competitive costwise in the presence of very high artisan wage levels. One most desirable low cost conventional building material that can be used in a variety of conditions with low-skilled labor is poured concrete.
However I have discovered that even with concrete, the building costs are not viable when upkeep costs are considered as well as construction costs. Particularly now with the escalating cost of energy due to the shortage of and monopolistic pricing control of fossil fuels, energy costs after construction are a significant part of viable housing costs. It is in this respect that the conventional concrete construction techniques in the building trades can no longer be competitive.
More particularly, it is to be noted that conventionally poured concrete is used primarily for basement walls only, and such basement walls are then covered with insulating, wood, sheet rock, and trapped air space insulating barriers between the concrete and the inner living space. I have discovered that this construction technique drastically increases the after construction maintenance cost of a house or equivalent building.
Thus the conventional state of the art of poured concrete as a building material is not well prepared to viably compete with modular pre-fab methods of construction on the more comprehensive cost analysis basis of both construction and post construction operating cost consideration.
Furthermore, a significant part of the real building cost need be allocated to the necessary appliances and controls, which have become very complex and costly. In particular the equipment needed conventionally for temperature control involves heater, fuel storage systems or gas pipeline connections, cooler, controls and distribution plumbing or piping, etc.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to find unconventional building means and methods that will permit the building trades to utilize their comprehensive resources of concrete building materials and knowhow with the labor force skilled in poured concrete building construction in a viable cost effective program considering both initial construction cost and post construction maintenance cost.
It is a further objective of this invention to overcome the aforesaid deficiencies of the building trade arts and to reduce the comprehensive costs of building, maintenance and building appliances.